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}} G?c is a fruit-infused functional beverage produced by GacLife marketed towards health-conscious consumers. It uses mixes of whole fruit juices without added sugar or sweeteners and contains a high carotenoid and vitamin content. The main ingredient of this beverage is juice from the Gac fruit. Ingredients and Products Each G?c beverage contains filtered water and Gac juice. It is then flavored with fruit juice. The current list of regular flavors are: * Pineapple * Peach * Lemon And also include the sparkling water flavors: * Mango * Lemon * Passionfruit Which use sparkling water instead of filtered water. In all cases, the added flavoring is fruit juice from whole fruits for a total percentage of juice to water (or sparkling water) of at least 17%. The product contains no other ingredients or additives, contains no added sugars (aside from those naturally present in the fruit juice) and is labeled as vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO. However, because of how the Gac fruit is sourced, G?c functional waters are not considered organic. Gac For the main article see: Gac Gac (scientific name Momordica cochinchinensis) is a bright orange fruit with a spiny rind that grows on vines and is cultivated for food throughout Southeast Asia. The seeds of the fruit and the deep red fleshy aril that surrounds them are the parts that are typically eaten. These arils are rich in carotenoids, vitamins, polyunsaturated fat, protein, polyphenols, flavenoids, and zinc as well as being low in sugar. University of Newcastle, Australia - Gac Research} https://gacfruit.weebly.com/gac-fruit-composition.htmlIshida BK, et al., 2004., Fatty Acid and Carotenoid Composition of Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng) Fruit., J. Agric. Food Chem., 2004, 52 (2), pp 274–279., DOI: 10.1021/jf030616i Notably, gac fruit has a higher concentration of many of its key vitamins than other commonly available fruits and vegetables: It has 70 times more lycopene than tomatoes, 10 times more beta-carotene than carrots, and 75 times more vitamin A than spinach (Numbers are approximate.)Vuong, Le Thuy, et al. "Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng.(gac) fruit carotenoids reevaluated." Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 19.6 (2006): 664-668. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157505000281Scrimshaw, Nevin S. "Nutritional potential of red palm oil for combating vitamin A deficiency." Food and Nutrition Bulletin 21.2 (2000): 195-201. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/156482650002100214 In addition to being present in a higher concentration, the carotenoids in gac fruit have been shown in clinical trials to be more efficiently used by the human body than those found in tomatoes and carrots. Müller-Maatsch, Judith, et al.; Carotenoids From Gac Fruit Aril (momordica Cochinchinensis lour. Spreng.) Are More Bioaccessible Than Those From Carrot Root and Tomato Fruit.; Food research international (2016):doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2016.10.053 Studies have shown that Gac retains much of its high nutritional content even when juiced.Tien PG, et al., 2005., Inhibition of tumor growth and angiogenesis by water extract of Gac fruit (Momordica cochinchinensis)., Int J Oncol. 2005 Apr;26(4):881-9.Kha TC, et al., 2012., Gac Fruit: Nutrient and Phytochemical Composition, and Options for Processing., Food Reviews International, Volume 29, 2013 - Issue 1 Gac fruit and juice have been described as having a mild flavor, similar to avocados, that harmonizes well with other flavorings such as fruit juices. Nutrition According to the beverage's nutritional facts, each 356 gram bottle of G?c typically contains : * 2g Total carbohydrates * 20mg Carotenoids (including Lycopene, Beta-carotene, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin) * 2.4mg Vitamin E * 54µg Vitamin A * 4.7mg Vitamin C * 60mg Potassium * 15 mg Calcium Amounts vary significantly between flavors. Notably: * The Pineapple flavor contains 90 mg of potassium, 24.2 mg vitamin C, and 0.2 mg of iron. * The Peach flavor contains 105 mg potassium, < 1 g of dietary fiber, and 2 g of sugar. * The Sparkling Mango flavor contains 90 mg of potassium, 0.4 mg of iron, 2 g of sugar and 4.7 µg of vitamin C. * The Sparkling Passionfruit flavor contains 105 mg of potassium, 0.2 mg of iron, and no vitamin C. Although only accounting for a small percentage of the Reference Daily Intake, G?c, as a flavored beverage with a high concentration of carotenoids and vitamin D can help support a healthy diet. As a low-sugar flavored water, it may also help encourage healthy drinking habits without adding calories to a meal. Benefits As a source of easily-absorbed carotenoids, G?c functional water can help support good skin and eye health. Carotenoids, including vitamins A, E, and C, lycopene, beta-carotene, and lutein are antioxidants that are usually taken in via the diet. They protect cellular structures from oxidative stress, which is damage that can be caused by high-energy light. They are also important components of the dark brown pigment melanin, which is found in hair, skin, and eyes. It acts as a shield at the surface of the body, preventing the damaging light from reaching the cells in the first place. This makes them important to skin and eye health. Darvin, Maxim & Sterry, Wolfram & Lademann, Juergen & Vergou, Theognosia. (2011). The Role of Carotenoids in Human Skin. Molecules. 16. 10491-10506. 10.3390/molecules161210491.Article LinkDarvin, M.; Patzelt, A.; Gehse, S.; Schanzer, S.; Benderoth, C.; Sterry, W.; Lademann, J. Cutaneous concentration of lycopene correlates significantly with the roughness of the skin. Eur. J. Pharm. Biopharm. 2008, 69, 943-947. Research shows that diets low in sugar and high in carotenoids positively influences the clearness, color, texture, strength, and elasticity of the skin. Schagen SK, et al., 2012., Vasiliki A. Zampeli, Evgenia Makrantonaki, Christos C. Zouboulis, Discovering the link between nutrition and skin aging, Dermatoendocrinol. 2012 Jul 1; 4(3): 298–307. doi: 4161/derm.22876, PMCID: PMC3583891Pappas, A., 2009., The relationship of diet and acne., Dermatoendocrinol. 2009 Sep-Oct; 1(5): 262–267.Zhi Foo Y, Rhodes G, Simmons LW, 2017, The carotenoid beta-carotene enhances facial color, attractiveness and perceived health, but not actual health, in humans, Behavioral Ecology, Volume 28, Issue 2, 1 April 2017, Pages 570–578, https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arw188 It also reduces symptoms of eyestrain (dry eye, headaches, and blurred vision) and improves night vision.Oregon State University: a-Carotene, ß-Carotene, ß-Cryptoxanthin, Lycopene, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin, http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/carotenoidsRoh S, Weiter JJ,. 1994., Light damage to the eye., J Fla Med Assoc. 1994 Apr;81(4):248-51.Rozanowska M, et al., Light-Induced Damage to the Retina, http://photobiology.info/Rozanowska.html Drinking water and staying hydrated -- which can be encouraged by flavored waters -- is also important for maintaining healthy skin, eyes, and organs.Palma, L., Marques, L. T., Bujan, J., & Rodrigues, L. M. (2015). Dietary water affects human skin hydration and biomechanics. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 8, 413–421. http://doi.org/10.2147/CCID.S86822 Aluminum Bottles GacLife produces its bottles and caps from 100% recyclable aluminum. Aluminium recycling allows aluminum products to be melted down and reused for less energy, pollution, and money than it would take for the products to be made from raw materials. The use of aluminum instead of plastic helps reduce the plastic pollution footprint of the Gac beverage. References